Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Yoalexis.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Yoalexisxe2x80x99.
The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made in December, 2000 in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium seedling selection identified as code number 96-L220, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium seedling selection identified as code number 98-M329, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in October, 2001. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive ray floret color and good garden performance.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since December, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Yoalexis has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Yoalexisxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Yoalexisxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.
3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.
4. Decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets.
5. White-colored ray florets.
6. Natural season flowering in early October in the Northern Hemisphere.
In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the female parent, the proprietary seedling selection identified as code number 96-L220, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more rounded and flowered more uniformly than plants of the female parent selection.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent selection differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the female parent selection had white and pink-colored ray florets.
In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the male parent, the proprietary seedling selection identified as code number 98-M329, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger than plants of the male parent selection.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had a more uniform growth habit than plants of the male parent selection.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than plants of the male parent selection.
4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about two to three weeks later than plants of the male parent selection.
5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum had fewer disc florets than inflorescences of plants of the male parent selection.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Linda, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,294. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Linda in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger and more rounded than plants of the cultivar Linda.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than plants of the cultivar Linda.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week later than plants of the cultivar Linda under natural season conditions.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Terano, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Terano in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger than plants of the cultivar Terano.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had slightly larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Terano.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week earlier than plants of the cultivar Terano when grown under natural season conditions.